Drinking local

I thought I was so clever when I realized that out of all the things you can't get locally, you can get one very important thing: vodka.

My celebratory jig was quashed when I remembered that vodka has two best buddies: tonic and limes. Decidedly not local.

Sigh.

Coffee, fixed

I'm sometimes late to the environmental game. While everyone else is warming up and getting ready to take the field, I'm still tying my shoes and fiddling with my glove.

I was convinced that part of the coffee experience was the paper cup. Its smooth clean white paper sliding against your thumb. The crisp logos, and even better, pretty holiday designs. I was so sure that I never even tried bringing my own stainless steel travel mug... until I was on my way to a camping trip a few weeks ago and realized that I already had my mug with me.

Shock: Coffee tastes better and stays hot longer in a travel mug.

If that weren't enough, today I noticed that local coffee shop charges me the small price, even though the mug holds at least a medium.

I'll be damned.

I'll give it back

Dear Daylight Savings Time,
Why do you bring so much joy on Sunday only to kick our asses the rest of the week? You freely give us that extra hour, then make us pay, pay, PAY!
With sorrow,
Tacohead

Up to her earrings in murky territory

I went to a women's conference today. There were a lot of tremendous things about it... but I couldn't decide what to think about the resource fair that took place right before lunch. It was one of those things with the booths and the drawings and free samples. I'm sure they let pretty much anyone who wants to pay to exhibit do so, but in between all the booths that seemed right (MBA programs, women's bookstores, health insurance), there were all these booths that seemed murky (spas, high-end purses) and the booths that seemed downright wrong (Mary Kay makeup, gimmicky soap).

Why is a spa OK but makeup not? Would it have been different if it were a high-end, mineral-based makeup? What about it being Mary Kay--is it a company that empowers women or exploits them in a sketchy pyramid scheme?
And am I being naive? Are makeup and purses really part of the businesswoman's attire, and therefore, no different than having a tie booth at a men's expo?

More Pillow Book

A few more lists from Sei Shonagon*:

64. Surprising and Distressing Things
While one is cleaning a decorative comb, something catches in the teeth and the comb breaks.
A carriage overturns. One would have imagined that such a solid, bulky object would remain forever on its wheels. It all seems like a dream--astonishing and senseless.
A child or grown-up blurts out something that is bound to make people uncomfortable.
All night long one has been waiting for a man who one thought was sure to arrive. At dawn, just when one has forgotten about him for a moment and dozed off, a crow caws loudly. One wakes up with a start and sees that it is daytime--most astonishing.

148. Pleasing Things
Finding a large number of tales that one has not read before. Or acquiring a second volume of a tale whose first volume one has enjoyed. But often it is a disappointment.
Someone has torn up a letter and thrown it away. Picking up the pieces, one finds that many of them can be fitted together.
A person of quality is holding forth about something in the past or about a recent event that is being widely discussed. Several people are gathered around him, but it is oneself that he keeps looking at as he talks.
I am most pleased when I hear someone I love being praised or being mentioned approvingly by an important person.
When one is competing in an object match (it does not matter what kind) how can one help being pleased at winning?

And another from me:

Things that make you feel virtuous
Having broken shoes repaired
Making and then drinking tea
Using an off-misused word correctly
Crossing something off a list
Throwing/recycling away empty shampoo bottles

*Ivan Morris translation

Christmas spirit

The holiday issue of Blueprint arrived on my desk with a thunk last week, and by the time I was halfway through the issue I was dreamily composing a wish list of holiday magic. At this time every year I fantasize about creatively wrapped presents, homemade goodies to give away, and gifts that are so well chosen they make the receiver weep with joy.

Yes, the holidays have arrived. Blueprint and Mighty Goods have published their gift guides. My parents have shared the family holiday travel schedule 2007 and reminded me that it's my turn for a real bed at the cabin... and that I may want to remind my brother of that well in advance.

What visions of sugar plums are dancing through your head? Finding the perfect Christmas tree? Crafting or cooking up homemade gifts? Really doing the whole holiday card thing right?

Running in the winter

As the weather gets cooler, a lot of people start heading indoors for their runs. But it can be done! I don't think it's as hard as people think. Here are some tips:

Tacohead's Guide to Running in the Winter
1. Start out slow so you don't get the burning throat thing. It is possible to run in cold weather without it! Just take it easy until your body warms up. Gaiters also help.
2. Where I live, most common running paths (lakes, etc.) are plowed regularly--after a snowstorm they're usually clear before the streets get plowed. Slipping and ice isn't as much as a problem as you'd think.
3. To ward off windburn, WarmSkin, available at local coops. Good enough for Ann Bancroft, good enough for me!
4. Favorite clothing options you may not have considered: SmartWool socks instead of your regular running socks, a gaiter (mine converts to a hat), and shirts with built in "hobo" gloves or thumb holes. Wind is also a huge factor, so consider a wind-proof layer.
5. When dressing or purchasing clothing, look for bright colors or reflective gear. Or, if you're bad at this like I am, then look for running companions who have bright/reflective gear!

MOST IMPORTANT THING NOT TO UNDERESTIMATE:
How tough and awesome you'll feel when your done! And no matter how cold you get, there's always that hot shower afterward.

Pillow book

Over a thousand years ago (c. 990), a woman in Japan named Sei Shonagon kept a series of diaries about her life serving as a lady-in-waiting to Empress Sadako. Heian court life is full of receiving and rejecting lovers, taking nature-viewing trips, and writing poetry, and Shonagon records and reflects on it all in her Pillow Book, a blogger before her time.

Shonagon is famous for her lists, which are surprisingly timeless.

For example:

54. Things That Give a Pathetic Impression*
The voice of someone who blows his nose while he is speaking.
The expression of a woman plucking her eyebrows.

63. Embarrassing Things
A man whom one loves gets drunk and keeps repeating himself.
To have spoken about someone not knowing that he could overhear. This is embarrassing even if it be a servant or some other completely insignificant person.
Parents, who are convinced that their ugly child is adorable, pet him and repeat the things he has said, imitating his voice.
An ignoramus who in the presence of some learned person puts on a knowing air and converses about men of old.
Lying awake at night, one says something to one's companion, who simply goes on sleeping.

Her work inspires me see lists wherever I look:

Things that are surprisingly sweet (if done by the right person)
Having something pressed into your palm
Being called "hon"
Receiving a hand-written letter
Having your birthday remembered
Being tucked in
Having something pinned on your lapel

*Ivan Morris translation

Monthly book post: October

October list:
Warm Springs: Traces of a Childhood at FDR's Polio Haven by Susan Richards Shreve. Shreve is a talented writer, and her short but incredibly rich account is as much about family dynamics, race, and human nature as it is about polio and Franklin Delano Roosevelt, two topics that are compelling enough on their own.

Here if you need me: A true story by Kate Braestrup. The story of a suddenly widowed mother of four who becomes a game warden chaplain in Maine. When loved ones go missing in forest or lakes, Braestrup is the one who stays with the family. With frankness sometimes even humor, the way she assesses and provides the needed comfort to families (and to her fellow officers) is nothing short of grace.

Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield Fisher. This sweet children's story deserves to be shelved alongside the works of L. M. Montgomery and Laura Ingalls Wilder. I can't remember where I just read about Fisher, but she's a fascinating woman, credited with bringing the Montessori tradition to the U.S.

Also read:
Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Novel by Leonie Swann (Yet another international best-selling mystery must lose something in translation).
The Headmaster Ritual by Taylor Antrim (Joins the list of books I wanted to throw across the room)
The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards

October

Whew! There has been some sad-assed posting going on in October. Judging from this blog alone you would think I 1. anticipated a marathon 2. ran and crashed and brooded over a marathon and 3. maybe read too many books. But that is not accurate! There is so much more! I have been:

1. Spending time with Husband curled up under blankets watching Ugly Betty.
2. Camping, paddling, running, and eating amazing pancakes topped with whipped cream, maple syrup, and berries with friends alongside the Red Cedar River.
3. Crafting, trivia gaming, and ginger cardamom pear butter-making with a friend at the cabin.
4. Seeing old friends, doing yoga, and playing racquetball.
5. Shimmying in my kitchen to music as I make big batches of comforting fall foods

And not so novel or exciting:
5. Working like a madwoman
6. Running (I'm still in training, yo)

In honor of my October, I give you the following links:
Amazing butternut squash macaroni and cheese
Good and simple and comforting French-style yogurt cake
A trivia game that works with two players and that justifies your liberal arts degree
She needs no links, but my shimmying companion has lately been Amy Winehouse
and of course the ginger cardamom pear butter recipe (canning not required!)

Marathon #3

Last week was pretty rough.

Not finishing the marathon and being sent to the hospital in an ambulance from Mile 25 left me physically and emotionally shaken. Why had my body failed me? Why I had failed my body? How could I have put my parents through the nearly two hours of panic, wondering where I was and borrowing cell phones and searching for me, only to get a call saying I was at the hospital?

Not to mention, why is race day always record-setting hot and humid?

The outpouring of love that comes after disappointment from family and friends helped heal my pride, and grieve for the loss of something I'd dreamed about for months. Getting the test results that confirmed that I hadn't done permanent damage to my body also helped.

It wasn't until Friday that I started feeling physically like myself again, and I headed to the post-marathon run club party excited see everyone and congratulate them on their race, especially the first-time marathoners that I'd proudly watch gain confidence and skill. I was enveloped by hugs, martinis, and plans for continued running and future races, and as we danced tipsily around the table, passionately singing along to We Are the Champions, I had this moment of sublime peace and happiness when I realized that I was equally a part of the celebration... that I didn't have to feel bad about what had happened... that I really was a champion.

Then the congo line started. And someone's boob was grabbed. And Husband wiped out on the front walk while spinning someone around.

Nerves

You may since its my third marathon I wouldn't be as nervous.
But that is not the case.

I still put a lot of pressure on myself to do the absolute best I can do. Maybe even more so, since this is my third and I now know what I can do.

And there are so many factors--weather, strategy, water and fuel intake, various minor injuries, group vs. solo running--to rethink and make minute adjustments to.

But I decided yesterday to stop worrying about the weather forecast and get my game face on. It's going to be super fun. I'm going to run strong. I've trained hard and listened well and know what to do. I've done most of the course, running the last 11 miles on legs nearly as tired as they'll be on Sunday. I'll do my best to plan for what I can, but I'll handle whatever else comes up that I didn't plan for.

Most of all, I'm going to take it all in and have fun. I'm getting really excited just thinking about it. See you at the finish line. Woot!

Monthly book post: September

September list:
Literacy and Longing in L.A. - Jennifer Kaufman and Karen Mack
This book's protagonist is a self-described "book binger" who is refreshingly not mousy or socially awkward, but attractive and well-dressed, as appropriate for the book's L.A. setting. Her enthusiasm for reading is infectious, making you want embark on a multi-day wine/bath/bookfest of your own. When she's not reading, Dora is navigating a messy relationship with the hip clerk of her favorite bookstore and figuring out what to about her nearly-ex-husband.

Bento Box in the Heartland: My Japanese Girlhood in Whitebread America - Linda Furiya. This memoir starts out with the childlike ignorance of a young girl, then deepens in complexity as Furiya grows up and realizes that her life is different not just because her family is Japanese, but also because of the way her parents have raised her. Find out why her parents laughed when she complained about an old WWII GI pawing at her at a potluck, and what her teacher did when a classmate made his finger into a gun and shot at her during a lecture on Hiroshima. A food writer at heart, Furiya ends each chapter with a recipe from her youth.

Fourth Comings - Megan McCafferty
Although McCafferty's tetralogy (Sloppy Firsts, Second Helpings, and Charmed Thirds) is often shelved in the adult section, they're really well-written young adult novels. If say, your husband or boyfriend is out of town and you want to curl up with a fun yet indulgent book and some artichoke brie dip, you might choose these books. You could start with this one (post-college), if you wanted something more adult than the first one (her junior or senior year of high school).

The Discomfort Zone - Jonathan Franzen
Follow Jonathan from his youth as a church group attending-school prankster geek through his post college romantic foibles to his unexpected transformation into a bird watching devotee, all framed within the context of his strange relationship with his parents, brought about by reflections on his mother's death. (Memoir).

Also read:
I checked out Ann M. Martin's new youth series, The Main Street books, as well as new graphic novel adaptations of her Babysitter's Club classics. I've also been following a new graphic novel imprint aimed at teen girls, unfortunately titled Minx. The latest title, Good as Lily, would be great for junior high girls.

Still Life with Chickens: Starting Over in a House by the Sea - Catherine Goldhamme
The Lost: The Search for Six of Six Million - Daniel Mendelsson
The Best of Friends: Two women, two continents, and one enduring friendship - Sara James and Ginger Mauney
Women, Water, Wisdom: Voices from the Upper Mississippi - Nancy Scheibe
Mary Reilly - Valerie Martin
Why Do Men Fall Asleep After Sex?: More Questions You'd Only Ask a Doctor After Your Third Whiskey Sour - Mark Leyner

Endangered dinners

Hotdish is going extinct.

Hotdish (and its close cousin, casseroles) were staples of my childhood. There was the tuna noodle kind, the despised hamburger hotdish, and my favorite, one made with wagon wheel pasta. Several times a week their steaming dishes graced the dinner table.

And now, except for holidays, (where Green Bean Casserole and Carrot Casserole, a tasty concoction of carrots, cheese, and croutons, frequently make an appearance) I haven't seen one for years.

It's a dying culture, an essential craft handed down for generations, a language that is being lost. It was a vital part of my childhood, but will I serve them to my children? Not likely. All jokes aside, that my children will not know hotdish makes me truly sad.

So I decided to bring hotdish back. From now on, anything serving in a large baking dish is a hotdish in my house, whether or (most likely) not it contains Cream of Mushroom soup or a crunchy fried topping. The dish Husband and I now know as Enchilada Bake? It's Enchilada Hotdish. Pasta bake has become Pasta Hotdish. And the brown rice that I threw together with tomatoes, tomatillos, peppers, cheese, and adobo earlier this week? Late Summer Harvest Hotdish.

Year 3

Our 5-year plan for having kids has become quite a joke, as we keep starting over on year 4 (a la Groundhog's Day). So far we have:

1. Read books about having kids (Husband just finished Neal Pollock's Alternadad).
2. Watched friends and family have kids
3. Been guilted into taking a daily vitamin by doctor, just in case
4. Had initial discussions about child care, finances, etc.
5. Collected all stuff that might apply to a child (stuffed animals we've received from various places, adorable vintage alphabet placards I found at a garage sale) into a storage bin.
6. Thought a lot about where baby might sleep in our house, and how that would work

But one of the things that has been most helpful is reading mommy blogs--the firsthand accounts of having kids that don't pull punches and pretend its all moons and stars.

Dooce has an amazing post today about motherhood that transcends motherhood in its brilliance. I'm going to print it out and put it in my file. What file? That would be:

7. Made a file for baby tips, gear recommendations, parenting advice, etc.

Maybe we're ready to upgrade to year 3.

Advice

I ran across this piece of advice on Mighty Girl, one of my regular reads:

To choose a spouse, find someone who is flawlessly kind but has an incredibly strong backbone. See also: Marry him only if you will be proud when your child turns out just like him.

I was first struck by it because it's an apt description of Husband, so I patted myself on the back. But then I thought of other husbands I know--of family friends and run club buddies--and realized that it held true for others as well. I tested the theory further by seeing if it applied to me and those friends' corresponding wives, and while we are definitely kind and have backbone, I don't think those are our most distinguishing characteristics.

So what kind of wife should a husband choose?

Other Mighty Girl advice from that post:

Don’t make assumptions, and don’t take things personally.

What you give is what you get. When you predict that negative things will happen, they do. The opposite is also true.

Plan less, do more.

Always have a valid passport.

Stop picking at that.

I've also been contemplating that simple mantra, "Do no harm," after reading about it in a book recently.

You'll be a real good listener

There is this Rilo Kiley song I really like, and while it's about depression and most of that is outside of my experience, I like to take that part not so literally and enjoy the lyrics for how they appeal to me.

Because this part is 100% me, at least how I feel I should be most of the time:

"And you’ll be better
And you’ll be smarter
And more grown up and a better daughter or son
And a real good friend..."

For better or worse, I'm constantly conceiving of or embarking on some sort of improvement plan to be a better wife/friend/daughter/sister/relative/worker/neighbor, not to mention listener/talker/thinker/athlete/artist... and I can't really turn that instinct off.

There's always that carrot out there, that it's possible to be a real good friend, and I'm always chasing it, although I should be pulling out a stick to beat that impulse back, because I'll never feel that I've achieved it.

A battle of socks

My friend KC has the whitest socks.

















My socks are always dingy, thanks to softball and trail running and my red and before than, blue, insoles. But this time I'd had enough, and decided to pull out all my tricks.

First, the dishwashing powder + bleach + hot water soak that brightened up many a t-shirt. No dice.

Second, a paste of borax and washing soda, left on a long time. A bit brighter, but still grayish.

Here they are after step two, with KC's gleaming socks for comparison.


















(If you are wondering how I ended up in possession of a pair of her socks, no, I did not steal them. I did rummage around in her bag and help myself when I found myself without, but that's what we do. She'd borrowed a sports bra of mine earlier in the week. And maybe on some unknown blog she's posting a picture of it and writing about its relative cleanliness RIGHT NOW).

Third and last, I tried a new technique: boiling with lemon.


















I'm sorry to report that this story does not have a happy ending. After I'd forgot about the boiling pot and my socks were more than al dente, I spooned them up and realized that while the white parts were whiter, the gray/red parts were still gray/red.

And peeking at the unappetizing gray brew, I concluded:
1. The strong products I've used over the past months have undoubtedly leached the black writing on the cuffs, thus soaking them in a pale gray dye, and
2. My socks have been gray for a long time, and old stains aren't easy to get out.

So I will either just not care or buy some new damn socks.
The end.

Monthly book post: August

I decided that I'm reading too many good books not to comment on them. If you don't like to read or don't like to read about what I read, then skip these posts.

August list:
Frenemies - Megan Crane
I felt kind of bad about this book because it looks like silly chick-lit, but damn, Crane really gets the silly games that women play, and I found myself recounting bits to Husband about how astute the book was. Not your average chick lit.

Partly Cloudy Patriot - Sarah Vowell.
If you haven't read anything of Vowell's and like, say, NPR, then get thee to the library because Vowell is hilarious and brilliant. She also has a love-it-or-hate-it voice (she is the voice of The Incredibles' Violet), which might tempt or dissuade you from the audio book version, which is how I read (listened to) the book.

Austenland - Shannon Hale
Like Jane Austen and want a quick, fun read? Read Hale's story about a woman who receives an all-expenses paid trip to a Jane Austen fantasy camp, and who struggles to find herself and possibly true love amidst the false trappings of recreated Regency England.

Born on a Blue Day: Inside the Extraordinary Mind of an Autistic Savant - Daniel Tammet.
Tammet goes from a boy obsessively collecting chestnuts to a man who manages to have an adult, loving relationship with another person. Along the way he succeeds in reciting 22,514 digits of pi in just over five hours, is the subject of an international documentary, and shares his amazing language ability, evidenced by his learning conversational Icelandic in one week. Also read in audiobook.

The Sweet Edge by Alison Pick.
This novel just begs to be discussed. Adam and Ellen are a young Toronto couple on the cusp of either marriage or disaster. A one night's mistake upsets Adam's world, sending him on a two-month canoe trip in the wilds of Canada, leaving Ellen, abandoned, for a summer at her art gallery job. Any book featuring wild rivers is always a hit with me, and Adam's
swift mental and physical descent into danger kept me reading long past bed time.

To maintain my credibility as a writer (i.e. to not bore you to death), I'm not going to comment on the books that I read that I don't feel have a somewhat mass appeal. However, I'll duly warn you away from anything I read that is not recommended. Here's the rest that was just fine but didn't warrant commentary:

Without a Map - Meredith Hall

Two-part invention: The story of a marriage - Madeline L'Engle

Second Opinions: Stories of intuition and choice in a changing world of medicine - Jerome Groopman
Swapping Lives - Jane Green

Me + fall = true love

It's back. That time of the training cycle when I reek like IcyHot, am constantly covered in frozen vegetables, and absentmindedly massage my joints in polite company. I had done well, nary indulging in even the BioFreeze, until the combo of hill repeats and speed work and 18 and 20 mileage conspired to make all sorts of things hurt in a worrying way. But it's also that time in the training when I start to feel sad, ("We're already 2/5 of the way through our longest runs?!"). But this time I think I can handle the post-marathon life, running with friends or the club and maintaining a half marathon level throughout the winter without having a breakdown or existential crisis.

It is also the time of year when Husband returns to a rehearsal schedule, and is no longer around evenings. (Soon to be followed by his production schedule, where he is no longer around on the weekends). Like all things there are the parts I don't like (cooking dinner for myself every night) and the parts that I like (getting lots of house projects done, seeing friends more).

The first cool winds of fall are also in the air, and I couldn't be more excited. I feel like I spent the whole summer in sweaty run clothes (pre, during, or post-run) and eating cereal for dinner because it's too hot to cook and there's no time anyway. I envision fall being a time of cool, invigorating runs, lots of laborious cooking and baking, and time to relax and get together with friends. Bring it on, fall.